


WRITTEN IN THE STARS (It's Finally You And I)

by yeolallineed



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Enemies to Lovers, Fanfiction, Love/Hate, M/M, Memories, Past Lives, Rebirth, Reincarnation, Supernatural Elements, kpop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-03-05 18:43:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18834496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeolallineed/pseuds/yeolallineed
Summary: Chanyeol hates looking in the mirror.He hates his face.It reminds him of a heartbreak that is still fresh in his mind.But more than that, he hates Baekhyun.Because the face he carries is impossible.Because it was once Chanyeol's face.





	1. PRELUDE

 

Chanyeol stood in front of the mirror in his room. His eyes panned over what he was wearing, his jacket, his t-shirt, his jeans, his shoes, but not once did he dare to look at his face.

Because he knew if he did, he would not be able to go through the day. He would not be able to stay as strong as he had pretended to be. Instead, he would just curl under the sheets and wait for life to pass him by.

"Chanyeol, are you ready?"

Chanyeol's best friend, Kai's voice called out from outside the window. He went over and slid the glass panel up.

"I'll be right down" Chanyeol yelled from his room's window on the first floor and Kai nodded in approval.

Chanyeol turned towards the mirror one final time, still refusing to look at his face.

"You can do it" he told himself and with that, he left his room.

 

 

 

It was the first day of residency. Chanyeol had graduated medical school with top scores and he and Kai were about to start their first day of medical internship.

Chanyeol wanted to be a plastic surgeon. Although it was just the first year and he would basically have to rotate through departments, he was very clear on his goal.

A goal that erupted from his own fears.

He desperately wanted to help people change their lives by giving them a new identity; by helping them be who they wanted to be and not live in constant fear of living in someone else's shadow.

It was a decision he took because of his own helpless state.

Because he was desperate to change the face he saw in the mirror everyday but never had the guts to go through with.

It was because he hated his own face.

 

 

 

Baekhyun was very excited. He couldn't believe his dreams were actually coming true. He had always been interested in medicine and he was finally on the threshold of his dreams. Even though it was just the first year, he knew what he wanted to be, a neurosurgeon.

Since Baekhyun had been a child, he had only one consistency in his life, his dreams. His parents died in a car accident when he was young. Although he was in the car too, he was somehow saved by a man who was passing by and had witnessed the accident. By the tine he turned to save Baekhyun's parents, the car blew up, killing them both.

Since then, Baekhyun had changed many foster homes and he never stayed at a place for more than 2 years at the most. He never really made any friends because he didn't stay long enough. 

Although everything else was temporary, the only permanent thing was the dream he had been seeing since he was 3 years old.

A dream of someone burning in fire. Sometimes the dreams were so realistic that Baekhyun would wake up feeling hot like it was him burning. And some days he would wake up crying because he could see the face of the man who was being burned. The face always remained the same, ever since he was a kid. It was only when he grew up into an adult, did he realise that the face he had seen in his dreams since he was 3, was his own.

It was his own face, and yet it felt like the person in his dreams was someone else. But that was not all, there was always another face in his dreams. A face that was not very clear, but wasn't vague either. It was like the other person in his dreams was both present as well as invisible at the same time. 

It was the occurrence of this dream that influenced him to take up neuro. Because for some reason, he felt his dreams were consistently trying to tell him something. What started as a hobby to find out more about the functions of brain and manifestation of dreams, soon turned into a fascination, leading Baekhyun to crave to become a neurosurgeon.

 

 

 

"Who's your roommate?" Chanyeol asked as he was helping Kai set up the latter's dorm room. Now that they were interns, they would spend most of their time at the hospital so it was necessary for them to bunk up someplace nearby to save time. Fortunately for them, the hospital provided a dorm to the residents from first year through third to live in.

"Someone called Baekhyun" Kai said, reading the paper kept on his desk that assigned the room to the residents.

Chanyeol nodded passively. "You can always come live in my room"

Kai shoved his clothes into his closet. "As much as I love you Park Chanyeol, I don't think I would like to live with you"

Chanyeol looked up from his screen and at Kai. "Why?" he asked curiously.

"Because you need to make new friends."

"I don't need new friends" Chanyeol retorted.

"Yes you do." Kai picked up his towel and a pair of change from his closet and walked to the washroom. "I'll take a quick shower so you can wait and befriend my roommate" he smirked.

"Whatever" Chanyeol said nonchalantly and Kai went inside the washroom. Chanyeol would have left but he did not want to go out alone. He did not like associating with people. He knew it was an obstacle considering his career choice and he was working towards it, but there were days when he didn't feel like meeting new people or talking to them. Today was one of such days.

And he did not understand why it was happening. It was like every atom in his body was telling him something bad was about to happen.

 

 

 

Kai was still in the shower and Chanyeol had moved on from the game he was playing to reading One Piece kept on Kai's shelf. Even though Chanyeol had already read the volume, he was still sifting through the pages because that was how much he loved it. 

Suddenly the door flung open and Chanyeol tore his eyes away from the manga to the person standing at the door.

The moment Chanyeol saw who it was, all his senses went numb. It was like looking at a ghost, his own ghost.

"Hi I'm Baekhyun" the boy at the door said. "Are you Kai?" he raised his hand for Chanyeol to shake but the latter was too occupied in the impossibility of the situation. There was no way this was possible. There was no way this person that stood before him had a face that Chanyeol knew so well. This was not happening. 

Baekhyun, as he said his name was, had a face that haunted Chanyeol in his dreams, in his reality. It reminded him of everything he had lost and of everything he will never have.

It was a face that he perhaps hated as much as he hated his own. No. He hated his own face more. 

"Chanyeol" Kai's voice reached Chanyeol's ears, breaking his thoughts that were focused on Baekhyun. "Are you okay?"

Chanyeol turned to look at Kai who was standing at the door of the washroom.

"I am fine" Chanyeol said, "Why?"

Kai's expressions were grave, worrisome. "Then why are you crying?" Kai asked.

It was then that Chanyeol realised the wetness on his face. He did not even remember when the tears started or why. All he remembered was looking at Baekhyun, like he was looking at his own face.

 

 

 

Baekhyun stood on the doorway with a hand stretched out, a big suitcase by the foot and a bag hanging down his shoulder.

The person that stood before him was familiar. But where had he seen him before? The moment the boy started crying, something inside of Baekhyun's heart ached like it was being crushed by bare hands.

He did not even know who this person was and yet watching him cry was making Baekhyun feel the saddest form of melancholy he had ever felt.

 

 

 

That nigh, as Baekhyun laid on his bed, his mind relentlessly ran back to the boy whom his roommate had addressed as Chanyeol. Baekhyun was certain he knew him from somewhere, he just couldn't remember where. Baekhyun couldn't forget how Chanyeol had stared at him like he was looking at a ghost. And how he seemed lost until Kai's voice brought him back to this reality. Baekhyun's couldn't forget how he stormed out of the room like he couldn't bare to look at Baekhyun any longer.

"Baekhyun" Kai's voice called out from other side of the room. It startled Baekhyun a little as he though Kai would be asleep by now.

"Yea?" Baekhyun said, turning to face Kai.

"Do you know Chanyeol by any chance?"

Baekhyun was silent for a minute, trying to figure out the answer.

"I don't know" Baekhyun said. "He is so familiar to me and yet I can't recall ever meeting him"

"What does that mean?" Kai was confused. He sat up on his bed, facing Baekhyun.

Baekhyun too got up and turned towards Kai. "It's like... I have seen him, I have heard his voice before, it's like I have dreamt about him"

Kai shook his head. "You know as well as I do that we can't dream about people we have never seen before. The human brain can't just make faces up"

"That's what I found the most odd" Baekhyun replied. "I am certain I have never met him before in person and yet he has always been a part of my dreams"

"Always?"

Baekhyun nodded. "I've had the same dream since I was a kid. On occasions, there was a face that came and went like an apparition. It has always been the face of your friend"

Everything Kai was hearing was unbelievable. "That's impossible Baekhyun" Kai said. "Even if you've dreamt of Chanyeol since you were a kid, it is not possible you saw the same face back then too. I mean people's faces change as they grow up, so how did you dream of this Chanyeol so early in your life?"

Baekhyun was as clueless as Kai was. "I don't know"

"You said you saw Chanyeol in your dreams on occasions, right?" Kai asked and Baekhyun nodded.

"What was the usual dream then?"

Baekhyun took a deep breath. "I always dream that I am being set ablaze. It's always an old oak tree in the middle of the forest, I am tied to it, there are people standing there with torches in their hand crying 'Witch's evil son' and they set me on fire"

Kai was listening intently.

"But you know the weirdest thing?" Baekhyun asked and Kai raised his eyebrows.

"I never feel myself being burned"

"What?" Kai asked in surprise. What Baekhyun said didn't make sense.

"In my dreams, I am always standing among the people in the crowd watching a boy being burned. I am always a part of the crowd. I have never dreamed of myself being burned or seen the dream from the perspective of someone who was suffering this. I am always observing what is happening to the person tied to the tree. He has the same face I do but I feel like it isn't even me"

This was the strangest thing Kai had ever heard. 

"Is this an experience you've had? Like have you seen something like this happen to anyone you know? Maybe your brain tricked you into thinking it was you"

Baekhyun shook his head. "I have never seen something like this, not even in movies"

Kai turned silent. 

"I wonder how Chanyeol fits into all this" he finally said after a moment's silence.

"Maybe we knew each other in our past lives" Baekhyun said with a hint of sarcasm that Kai noted. They were, after all, doctors; the most practical and rational beings on the face of earth. They knew if something can't be explained with science, it didn't exist. So the whole joke of past life was nothing but humor to the both of them.

 

 

 

"Chanyeol" Kai yelled as he walked into Chanyeol's room the next morning. They were supposed to gather for rounds with the patients and Chanyeol was running late. 

"Come on man get up" Kai pulled the blanket off of Chanyeol in an attempt to wake him up. 

"Leave me alone" Chanyeol replied. 

Kai still did not understand what had happened in a matter of less than 24 hours. Everything was fine until yesterday, until Baekhyun showed up. 

"Tell me what's wrong" Kai said, still tugging on the blanket. "At least talk to me. You were fine until you saw Baekhyun"

The mere mention of the name froze Chanyeol and Kai understood it was related to him. 

"Chanyeol" Kai said softly. He was desperate for his best friend to stop hurting. 

After a few minutes when Chanyeol did not move, Kai stood up to leave for the rounds that would start in half an hour.

Just as he was about to walk out the door, Chanyeol's voice reached him.

"Do you believe in reincarnation?" Chanyeol softly asked and Kai froze at the door.

He slowly turned around. Suddenly Baekhyun's words rang in his mind. 

_"Maybe we knew each other in our past lives"_

No, that was stupid. Even Baekhyun knew he was joking. This was just a coincidence and Kai was desperate to prove it to himself. 

"Do YOU believe in reincarnation?" Kai asked back, not knowing what to answer.

Chanyeol hesitantly nodded. "I do"

"Why?" Kai asked. 

Chanyeol looked at him, hoping he would not lose a friend after he told him everything. Hoping he would not think Chanyeol had gone mad.

"Because I remember my past life very clearly, like it happened yesterday"

  


	2. INTERLUDE

 

Kai couldn't believe what he was hearing. His friend, Chanyeol who is probably the most reasonable person he knew, was talking about reincarnation?

Chanyeol had guessed Kai's thoughts through the expression on his face.

"How long have you known me?" Chanyeol asked.

"Since a very long time. Since kindergarten perhaps"

Chanyeol nodded. "Have you ever seen me talk things that didn't make sense?"

Kai shook his head. He had never seen Chanyeol as much as even joke about things that were irrational.

"Would you believe me if I tell you about my past or would you think I am crazy?"

Kai thought about it. Even if what Chanyeol said did not make sense to him, he would still listen to him and try to understand his point of view. After all, he was his best friend and that's what friends do, they believe each other. And Kai owed much more than that to Chanyeol.

Everyone who knew Kai, knew he was a troublemaker. So much so that in school, a lot of people hated him. Firstly because he was among the class toppers, always. And secondly because he never studied. He had a very strong memory and even if he didn't pay attention to class or the lectures, he would always get a high score because of his eidetic memory.

Once when Chanyeol and Kai were in 10th grade, a classmate who had held grudges against Kai for a very long time framed him for stealing question papers before the exam. He even planted the question papers in Kai's bag and when the management searched for it, Kai was found guilty.

The whole school started talking about him, spreading rumours. It was so bad that even his parents didn't believe him anymore. In that moment, only Chanyeol stood by his side, not flinching for a second. He did not doubt Kai even once.

It was Chanyeol who took it upon himself to clear Kai's name. Kai still did not know how he did it, but a week after the incident, the student who had lied, confessed to his despicable plan and was suspended. The school offered Kai a written apology and just like that, Chanyeol had shut everyone up.

Kai knew he would never question anything Chanyeol said, no matter how crazy it sounded to him. As long as Chanyeol believed in it, Kai would too.

"Of course I will believe you Chanyeol" Kai said. "And if I don't, maybe I'm the crazy one"

Chanyeol smiled at his words. He knew he had lucked out when he met Kai.

"Tell me from the beginning" Kai said and Chanyeol nodded.

"I don't remember when or how it started, but ever since I was a child, I used to feel my body and my face don't belong to me. I always felt like someone else trapped in this body"

Kai nodded. So far he was following through.

Chanyeol continued. "Ever since I was a kid, I used to have recollections of a time I hadn't passed in this life. At first I thought they were dreams, but as I grew up, I realised they were memories. My own memories, from my previous life"

"What kind of memories?" Kai asked.

"They were simple things at first. For example I knew the alphabets before I even learned them. I knew basic math before I even knew what numbers were and things like that"

Was this even possible? Not once had Kai heard or read about any such thing happening anywhere in the world.

"As I grew up, I found that things people learned with age, were like sixth sense to me. I knew what to do and what not to do. But by then, I did not have a full recollection of my past life"

"When did you have it then?" Kai asked.

"When I turned fifteen"

"Why then?"

"I guess because that's when I started looking most like I do now"

Everything was very confusing to Kai but still Chanyeol continued.

"It means that this face I have, I recollected all the memories of this face after I turned fifteen"

"How?"

"I don't know how exactly. But one day I was looking at the mirror and I suddenly felt like I was staring at someone else. This face didn't belong to me. As I looked at my face more intently, the more I recollected"

"I do not understand" Kai said with a heavy sigh.

Chanyeol did not know how to make Kai follow through. He was starting to sound crazy to even himself at his point.

"In the past life, I had a different face, I was someone else" Chanyeol said.

Kai understood that much. He had seen movies that dealt with reincarnation and how the people who were born again had a completely different outlook.

"Do you remember what you looked like in the past life?" Kai asked.

Chanyeol slowly nodded.

"Who?"

Chanyeol looked at Kai straight in eye, praying he wouldn't quit on him after hearing his answer.

"In the past life, I had your roommate's face"

Kai wanted to laugh but he wasn't sure if this was a laughable matter. Was it more than just a coincidence that Chanyeol just happened to have his roommate Baekhyun's face in his previous life?

"I know it's confusing, I am confused myself" Chanyeol confessed and it was then that Kai heard the shaking voice. Chanyeol was scared.

He placed his hand on Chanyeol's shoulder.

"Take a deep breath" he said and Chanyeol followed. Kai suddenly remembered how Chanyeol hated looking in the mirror.

He didn't know if he should ask this but he still did.

"Why do you hate your own face Chanyeol?"

The question caught him by surprise. Did this mean Kai believed him?

Chanyeol thought about the question for a while but he knew he was better off being truthful to Kai.

"Because in the past life, this face belonged to the person I loved the most, and the person I hate the most"

"Who was that?"

 

 

***************

**FEW HUNDRED YEARS AGO**

***************

 

 

It was the times of drought. The kingdom had never seen something like this. The king of the land Wang Sunam was desperate because his people were dying and were losing faith in him. It had not rained for three years now. His army was weak and he was afraid an invasion was at bay.

Desperate to find a solution, he ordered for the kingdom's most powerful Shaman to visit the palace.

The Shaman, a woman very old, but very wise came down to the palace.

"Help me" Wang Sunam said. "I can't lose my people and my kingdom"

The Shaman smiled. "I can help you, but you will need to give me something in return"

"Anything" the king said, without thinking of the consequences the promise would bring.

"Do I have your word?" the old woman asked.

"Yes tell me what you want and I shall give it to you"

"Not now, I will claim it when the time comes, for now, bearing a male child will end this drought"

The king was startled. The entire kingdom knew the queen was unable to bear a child. She has had seven miscarriages and even the royal physician had told them that if she were to bear anymore sufferings, she would lose her life.

"The queen can't bear any children" the king said, "How dare you mock the throne?"

The Shaman smiled again. "I never said she has to bear the child"

This was even more preposterous than what the king had heard.

"I will have you imprisoned for saying something as deplorable as this"

"Sire, the kingdom knows how much you love the queen, but if you do not do this, there will be no kingdom left"

Even then, the words said by the Shaman were beyond the King's wit.

"You can always take in a concubine, keep her in hiding, no one has to know whose child it is"

No, the king would still not agree to this.

"The future of the kingdom rests in your hand Sire"

Wang Sunam was ready to say no, he was ready to throw this woman in prison for the rest of her life. He was about to give the order when a voice stopped him.

Walking through the gates of the king's hall, was the queen.

"What are you doing here? You should be resting" the king said.

"Do as she says Sire" the queen said, leaving the king more shocked.

"No" he replied. "I can never"

"Do it for the people, for your kingdom." she said with tears in her eyes.

"You know I can't do that to you" Wang Sunam said.

"Then do it for me"

"What... What do you mean?"

"Do you know what I have to go though everyday? Everyone from the servants to the minister's wives gossip about how unlucky I am to you and your kingdom. Have this child and do as the Shaman says, no one has to know it's not mine. When the droughts end, I can at least live with my head held high"

The king who until a few minutes ago was completely against the idea, saw the pain in his queen's eyes. He had no idea she was suffering so much. He knew then it must be done. If not for the people, then for the woman he loved the most.

 

 

The kingdom rang with cries of the infant when he was born. And just like the Shaman had said, the day he was born, it rained like it had never rained ever. People from all over the kingdom came to see the child that had broken the almost 4 year long drought. It was a miracle, the child was a miracle.

And he was the most beautiful child anyone had ever seen. He had chubby cheeks, buttoned black eyes, a mouth that almost always smiled which revealed the cutest dimple anyone had ever seen and then there were his ears, big, unearthly ears that somehow complimented his adorable face.

He was named Cheong Yun.  


 

 

Since he was the only heir to the king, he was brought up with exceptional love and care. Everyone from the king to the queen adored him like he was the most precious thing in the world. They all knew he would be the next king because the king had no other heir.

But there were people who wanted the throne to themselves.   


 

 

Cheong Yun soon grew up to be a skilled warrior who was not only fierce but also kind hearted.  


 

 

One day when Cheong Yun was 20 years old, he was attacked in his sleep by the enemy. Although he was trained in marital arts and sword fighting, the element of surprise turned out to be a disadvantage and even though he managed to kill everyone who had attacked him, he was gravely injured.

It was then than the king ordered for him to have the best security in the kingdom.  


 

 

A few weeks after the attack, not far from the kingdom, the king's ministers were out on an evening stroll when they saw a fight break out in the market. They quickly rushed over to see what was happening and to their surprise, a petite man in his early 20s was beating seven men simultaneously. His martial art skills were the best they had ever seen.

Even though he was drunk, he was starkly aware of his surroundings and not one of the seven sober men, who were also almost double his size were able to beat him.

The ministers meddled and broke the fight, proceeding to grab the man and dragging him with them.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked, knowing very well that if he fought the royal guards, he would soon be hanged to death for treachery.

"To the king" one of the high ranking officers answered.

Wang Sunam looked at the boy standing in front of him. He was in no state to even stand straight, let alone fight anyone.

"Is this a joke?" the king asked in anger.

The chief minister bowed to him. "No Sire, this boy really is the best fighter we have ever seen"

The king looked at the boy again.

"What is your name?" he asked.

The boy tried to look at the king but his vision was blurred. At least his hearing was still intact.

"Bon Hwa" he said sloppily, rubbing the drool from his lips.

The king closed his eyes in disappointment.

"Take him away and bring him back when he is more human"

The ministers immediately bowed and followed the order.  


 

 

The next day when Bon Hwa was sober and more control of himself, he stood in front of king but also found someone else sitting next to him.

The moment Bon Hwa's eyes fell on him, he forgot what he was there for. The boy looked tall, had a very muscular built and his face, it was something that perhaps gods had made themselves. Then his eyes fell on his ears that struck out in the most fascinating way. Judging by the clothes he was wearing and the way he was sitting, Bon Hwa knew he was the crown prince.

Bon Hwa had heard a lot about him. Cheong Yun, was his name as he could recall, but no one had told him he was so good looking.

He noticed that Cheong Yun was looking straight at him.

"Answer the king" the minister yelled at Bon Hwa that broke his concentration on the crown prince.

"Hmm?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He asked about your family" the minister whispered.

Bon Hwa turned to the king. "I only have a mother, she lived by that old house at the edge of the village"

Suddenly a murmur swept through the people sitting in the hall.

"You're the witch's son?" one of the ministers sitting asked. Bon Hwa felt the anger rising inside of him. He had beaten up seven men last night for calling his mother a witch and he was about to do the same now.

Just as he was ready to turn around to see who it was that had called his mother a witch, a voice called his name.

"Bon Hwa, can you fight?"

He saw the crown prince descending from the throne and towards him.

He scoffed. "I can kick your ass" Bon Hwa replied, sending another round of disapproval through the crowd.

Cheong Yun was mesmerised by Bon Hwa the moment he set his eyes on him. He had a small, almost oval face with eyes that shined. But what struck Cheong Yun most was his mischievous smile that he couldn't take his eyes off.

Cheong Yun couldn't help but be amused at this strange creature in front of him. He was so much smaller in size than he was and he was so brave to talk to him like that, that too in front of the king. It was fascinating. Cheong Yun had never met anyone like that before.

"Let's see shall we?" Cheong Yun said, advancing towards Bon Hwa. He drew his sword out and attacked the unarmed fighter. Bon Hwa dodged him swiftly. His movement was so quick, everyone thought he had apparated.

Cheong Yun continued to strike him blow after blow but each time, Bon Hwa dodged it like he wasn't even working hard to save himself.

Just when Cheong Yun was about to strike him one final time, Bon Hwa slid to his left and immediately turned around to kick Cheong Yun on his butt, making him fall on his face.

This enraged the king. No one had ever treated the crown prince like that.

"Arrest him" he said and the guards immediately caught hold of him.

Bon Hwa looked at the king in confusion.

"Throw him in the prison" the king ordered but it was Cheong Yun who interrupted him.

"Sire" Cheong Yun said, bowing to the king. "Let him go."

"I cannot let a rebel be a part of the royal army" the king spoke through his rage.

"If there is one person who can protect me from the enemies, then it's him" Cheong Yun said with so much sincerity in his voice that the king couldn't refuse.  


 

 

Soon Bon Hwa began shadowing Cheong Yun. He was the only one allowed in his chambers all the time. Everything Cheong Yun did, was under the supervision of Bon Hwa and the former never complained. He actually liked Bon Hwa's company.

The boy would make him laugh at the most unexpected things and Cheong Yun enjoyed being with him. It was not much later that he found out Bon Hwa was just six months older than him. That made Cheong Yun respect him even more because he had learned so much more than Cheong Yun at such an early age.   


 

 

Soon they became very good friends. Cheong Yun refused to eat without Bon Hwa, refused to go anywhere without Bon Hwa and refused to sleep unless he was in the same room.

A few peaceful months had passed since Bon Hwa was appointed as Cheong Yun's royal guard. They had grown close than either had expected to and surprisingly, there had been no threats to the crown prince's life.

Until one night when he was at the bath house, taking a warm bath with just Bon Hwa outside the door.

Bon Hwa had been very vigilant every since he was appointed to guard Cheong Yun. Even though there was no threat that he had come across in his tenure, he knew it was always better to be on his toes than to regret later.

The crown prince was inside the bath house all by himself when Bon Hwa heard multiple footsteps. He closed his eyes to enhance his hearing and soon deducted there were nearly twelve men. He knew they weren't a part of the royal household because the royal household would not need to use stealth to approach Cheong Yun.

Even with his skills, twelve men were a little too much for him to handle as he was aware of his own limitations. Bon Hwa rushed inside the bathhouse.

"Quick" he said, looking at Cheong Yun. "Get ready." He threw a piece of cloth at the crown prince to wrap himself up since they did not have time to let him get dressed.

Cheong Yun did not ask any questions. He simply got up and wrapped the cloth around his waist.

"Follow me" Bon Hwa said, drawing his sword out.

Cheong Yun who had his own sword near his clothes, picked it up and followed Bon Hwa through the deserted corridors.

They had hardly taken a few steps when Bon Hwa heard a couple of footsteps approaching towards them.

He immediately recoiled towards Cheong Yun and pushed him through a door on their right, carefully closing it behind him.

Cheong Yun was about to ask something when Bon Hwa pressed his hand against his mouth and pinned him between himself and the wall.

Bon Hwa was intently listening to the footsteps out in the corridor, his entire focus was on the men outside, completely ignoring that Cheong Yun was staring at him, unable to take his eyes off.

For the first time, Cheong Yun noticed how beautiful Bon Hwa's face was. He noticed his hazel brown eyes that shined in their own glimmer. His eyes fell on Bon Hwa's plump lips that were red like the cherries. How come he had never seen how beautiful he was?

Against his arms, Bon Hwa could feel Cheong Yun's heartbeat rising. He thought the crown prince was scared when he turned to look at him to assure him, but he found Cheong Yun's eyes telling a different story altogether.

Bon Hwa lowered his hand but did not move back.

With his own body resting against the slender sculpture of the prince's bare skin, Bon Hwa stared into those big brown eyes. Soon he found himself being lost in the vastness of wonder. The way the crown prince was looking at him was something he had never seen before. No one had looked at him like that in his entire life. That gaze from the crown prince rose unfamiliar feelings inside of him and he couldn't help but admit that he liked it.

Cheong Yun could sense that Bon Hwa's breathing was rising with each passing second. It was a cold night and yet Bon Hwa's cheeks flushed with warmth. Without realising, they found each other leaning closer to the other, feelings of electrifying hunger rising through the air.

A sudden noise from the corridor brought Bon Hwa back to reality.

What was he doing? What was he thinking? He suddenly withdrew himself away from Cheong Yun. This was wrong. He knew he shouldn't have this feelings for another man, especially the crown prince.

Bon Hwa separated himself from Cheong Yun, like he had committed a sin. In his mind, it was a sin. He would be punished and possibly be killed if anyone found out about what was going on in his mind about the crown prince.

"Bo..." the crown prince began but before he could say his name out loud, Bon Hwa ran out of the room, feeling guilty, knowing that he would never forgive himself.

Bon Hwa tried to go back to normal but it was Cheong Yun who made him feel worse than he already did. The next day Bon Hwa realised that he had suddenly been stationed to serve at the border with the troops that were going there with supplies. He did not question the order, he knew where it came from and he knew it was the right thing to do, and yet his heart felt a strange sadness that he won't be able to see Cheong Yun anymore.  


 

 

A year passed before Bon Hwa returned from the border patrol. The first person he wanted to see was Cheong Yun, but something told him he shouldn't. On the day of his return, he found that the a suitable bride had been found for the crown prince. It was the daughter of the neighbouring land and in order to unite the forces, the union had been agreed upon. He knew he should be happy for the crown prince and yet he felt like someone had stabbed his heart.

Cheong Yun, in the past one year, had somehow managed to forget everything about Bon Hwa. Or at least he pretended that he had. He knew what he felt for him was not right. He knew if anyone found out, nothing would happen to him as he was the crown prince, but it was Bon Hwa who would be killed. Cheong Yun still did not regret the decision he had made a year ago to send him to the border. Having him away yet alive was better than having him dead.

Maybe Bon Hwa would forget about him too. Maybe he would find a life more suitable for him that would keep him safe.   


 

 

The day after Bon Hwa returned, he was ordered by the king to be Cheong Yun's personal security guard like he was before. The king did not know why Cheong Yun had suddenly ordered him to go to the border but now that Bon Hwa was back, Wang Sunam would do anything to keep his son safe.  


 

 

The next day, Bon Hwa entered Cheong Yun's chamber to bring him breakfast. He found the crown prince sleeping so he placed the food on the table and slowly moved to where he was. For the longest time, Bon Hwa stared at the crown prince, etching his face in his mind, in case he forgot if he had to go away again.

He stood there, unfazed when a voice interrupted him.

"Who are you?" a woman standing at the door asked Bon Hwa.

He bowed. Even if she did not know who he was, Bon Hwa knew who she was. She was the princess who had been promised to marry Cheong Yun.

"I am Bon Hwa, the prince's personal security"

She waved her had dismissively, indicating she was not interested and walked over to Cheong Yun.

She sat by his bed and ran her hand through his hair.

Bon Hwa suddenly felt an unpleasant feeling in his stomach.

Cheong Yun opened his eyes slightly and the first thing he saw was Bon Hwa. Involuntarily a smile erupted on his lips that Bon Hwa missed as he was busy staring at the floor. Cheong Yun then saw the princess sitting beside his and his smile vanished.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I came to wake you up" she said with a playful smile.

"Well I am up, so you can leave now"

The Princess faked a frown. "Let's have breakfast together" she said and Cheong Yun's eyes travelled to the food on the table.

"I am not hungry" he said quickly. "I will call you when I feel like eating"

With that, the princess got up and left.

After she was gone, Bon Hwa bowed to the crown prince and proceeded to leave too. Before he could walk out the door, a pair of hands caught him by the wrist. Bon Hwa froze. His heart started beating wildly because he was too afraid to turn around and look at Cheong Yun.

"Stay" the crown prince said softly and Bon Hwa felt himself starting to tear up.

"I can't" he managed to say through his frail voice that was beginning to shake.

Cheong Yun did not wait for Bon Hwa to say anything else. He pulled him by his hand and dragged him to the table where the breakfast was served.

"Sit" he ordered sternly and Bon Hwa knew he had to follow.

"How was the border?" Cheong Yun asked after a few bites of his breakfast. Bon Hwa was still refusing to eat anything and was still refusing to look at Cheong Yun.

"It was fine" he said curtly. The coldness in his voice made Cheong Yun feel like he was punched on the gut.

"Did you miss me?" the crown prince asked next and it was this question that made Bon Hwa turn his eyes and look at him.

He stared at Cheong Yun like it was the last time he was looking at him.

"You do not have the right to ask me that" he said softly before he got up and left.  


 

 

The next few weeks were very strange for Cheong Yun. Bon Hwa would not talk to him about anything that did not involve his security. He would avoid his gaze, he would leave the room when Cheong Yun entered and would appoint someone else to stay with him while he guarded the room from outside.

It was frustrating but Cheong Yun did not know what to do.  


 

 

Several nights after Bon Hwa had resumed his position as Cheong Yun's security guard, the crown prince found himself being unable to sleep. So he decided to take a stroll across the palace garden. There were no other guards outside Cheong Yun's chamber so Bon Hwa was forced to accompany him. More like trail him from a few feet away.

After walking for a few minutes, Cheong Yun stood still, staring at the starry sky.

"When you were not here" he said, knowing very well Bon Hwa was within hearing range, "I would often come here at night and stare at the sky"

"Why?" Bon Hwa asked, curiously.

"Because it reminded me of you" the crown prince still kept looking up.

Bon Hwa did not know how to reach to that. So he chose to keep quiet.

"When I looked at the sky, I felt happy that even though you were thousands of miles away, we still shared the stars together"

Suddenly Cheong Yun approached Bon Hwa.

"I am sorry for sending you away" he said softly.

The soft voice that came from Cheong Yun suddenly broke all the defences that Bon Hwa had built up so far.

"Then why did you?" Bon Hwa finally asked. He knew this would probably be the only chance for him to find the answers.

"Because I thought if you were away, I could control my feelings towards you. I could stop feeling the way I did and I could let you be happy without me"

Bon Hwa stared at Cheong Yun's brown eyes that glazed under the moonlight.

"But I can't. I can't let you go. No matter how hard I try, I can't stop this feeling I have whenever I see you"

Bon Hwa shook his head. "This is not right. This is wrong. We're both men"

"I don't care what we are" Cheong Yun said. "My heart beats for you and that's all I know"

Bon Hwa had been dying to hear these words from Cheong Yun for so long. He thought he would feel relieved when he would hear him say that, but this did not feel right.

"You are engaged to someone else" he said looking straight at Cheong Yun.

"I will break the engagement"

"You can't do that" Bon Hwa argued. "The future of the kingdom depends on this union"

"Do you want so see me get married to someone else? Do you think I will be happy with a wife who will bear me children when it is you whom I carry in my heart? Do you think it will be fair to her?"

Bon Hwa did not know what to say. This seemed unreal.

"I love you" Cheong Yun said suddenly that caught Bon Hwa by surprise. "You're the only person I have loved and you're the only person I will ever love"

As the words escaped Cheong Yun's lips, Bon Hwa did not know what overcame him. He pulled Cheong Yun by his collar and closed the gap between them, sealing their love in a kiss.

The crown prince pulled him nearer, holding him tight as he gave in to the kiss he had been dreaming about for so long.

They did not care who they were or what they were doing. They did not care if someone would see them. In that moment, they only cared about themselves.   


 

 

Cheong Yun looked happier than he had been in the past one year and everyone noticed that. The king had been worried about him for the past one year but now that he was more cheerful than before, he worried less.

Bon Hwa and Cheong Yun had become quite efficient at stealing kisses and being covert with their love for each other. Cheong Yun was lucky that he had from the beginning ordered only Bon Hwa to be in his room so it never came as a suspicion to anyone when it became a daily event.

During the day, he would hold his hand under the table while he ate.

During the afternoon, Bon Hwa would lean into the crown prince's shoulders, hugging him from behind when Cheong Yun would read in his chamber.

In the evening, they would dress as commoners and would spend time by the river, holding each other's hands and staring at the evening sky.

And at night, Cheong Yun would sleep with Bon Hwa in his arms through the night, showering him with kisses and holding him close to his heart.  


 

 

Things went smoothly for a few days and they were very happy and very much in love with each other until one day, Cheong Yun finally spoke to the princess about cancelling the engagement.

"I can't go ahead with it" he simply said, looking at the princess straight oher face.

"Why?" she asked, shocked at the sudden words.

"I love someone else"

Hearing these words, the princess started crying. Before Cheong Yun could pacify her, she suddenly stopped.

"If you love someone else, I guess it can't be helped"

Cheong Yun was surprised at her words. He never knew the princess was so mature.

"If you do not mind, I would like to stay a few more days before I decided how to tell my father of this news"

"Of course" the crown prince said, "You're our guest. Feel free to stay as long as you want"

After Cheong Yun was done telling the princess what he felt, it seemed like a huge rock had been removed from his chest. He was singing with joy, unable to wait to go and tell Bom Hwa that he had finally done it.

As he walked down the corridor, he heard the ministers talking worriedly.

"This is the second year. I am afraid if it doesn't rain anytime soon, people will start retaliating"

Cheong Yun stood there frozen. He wondered if they were talking about the drought that had struck the land once again and this time, it was ten times worse than before.

"We need to summon the Shaman again" one of the ministers said and Cheong Yun laughed. He knew believing in stupid superstition was the first thing that was wrong with people. They were desperate enough for a miracle and something even remotely coincidental would make them go crazy, thinking it was divine intervention.

He turned away, not giving more heed to the conversation that was going on. His focus was Bom Hwa and the news he was about to deliver.

 

 

 

 

 

The Shaman stood before the king, once again like all those years ago. For some reason, she had requested a private meeting which the king agreed to.

"It's time you pay the debt you owe me" the old woman said.

"Yes, I shall do whatever you ask me. Please just tell me what needs to be done"

"You were too quick to make that promise. I am afraid you won't like what I have to say"

"You do not have to be worried about it. Just tell me what you need"

The Shaman gave out her old smile once again.

"I need the person your son is in love with"

"My son what?" the king asked, "You mean the princess?"

The old woman shook her head. "Not her. Someone else"

The king was confused. "Who are you talking about?"

Hearing the king's question, the Shaman closed her eyes.

"I see the name Bon Hwa" she said softly. "That's the person your son loves"

The king laughed. "Do you know the punishment for even suggesting something as vile as this?"

"I am aware" the Shaman said, "But it seems like you are not aware of who your son is"

"That's preposterous" Wang Sunam yelled. "My son is not that. He does not love another man" he could feel his veins on the verge of popping.

"All the more reasons to give him to me then"

The king took a deep breath.

"What do you want from him?" he asked out of curiosity.

"He has foresight. He is a witch's boy after all, magic runs in his blood. He is someone who could be very useful to me"

"Fine" the king said, "You can have him. Now tell me how I can end the drought"

Before the Shaman could speak, she turned her ears towards the door. The king had not heard it, but she was certain someone had heard their conversation and had suddenly run away.

She turned her attention to the king again.

"It was your son who ended the drought, it is only him who can do it again"

"How?"

"Your son's birth ended one cycle, his death with end another"

"HOW DARE YOU?" the king yelled, standing up from his throne. "Guards" he shouted. "Grab her and throw her in the prison to rot"

But before the guards could catch her, she vanished into thin air, leaving all of them stunned.  


 

 

Outside the hall, the princes ran as far away from the palace hall as possible. Had she heard right? The person Cheong Yun loved was Bon Hwa? Even the thought made her skin crawl. She couldn't believe she was about to marry such a man.

Halfway through the hallway, she paused. Looking at the palace, she realised that she was about to give all of this up. The palace here was almost six times the size of her own palace back home. The fact that Cheong Yun was the only son the king had, it meant she could forever rule as the queen. She couldn't believe how stupid she had been so far.

And just like that, she knew what she had to do.  


 

 

It was post midnight when something suddenly smacked Bon Hwa across his head, making him fall to the ground unconscious.

When he opened his eyes, he was tied to an oak tree in the middle of the forest. There were people surrounding him, chanting, with torches in their hand. In the center of the crowd was the princess.

"This is the man who bewitched the crown prince into falling for him" she said. "He is the witch's son. He is disgusting"

Every sentence she said, was amplified by the crowd.

"He is the one that tried to make the prince do unthinkable deeds" she said.

"No" Bom Hwa said. "That's not true. We love each other"

"Do you hear that?" she yelled at the crowd. "Do you see the withcraft he has used to lure the prince into his trap?"

"I am not lying" Bom Hwa cried. "There is no witchcraft. We do love each other"

The princess approached him with a smile. "Then why did he tell me he was disgusted by you?"

Bom Hwa's eyes shot open. "What?"

"Today when he came to see me, he said he didn't want to break the engagement but he feels helpless. He feels like someone else is controlling him, making him do things he finds disgusting"

Bon Hwa couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"That's not true. He would never"

The smile from the princess' face did not wipe off.

"Then how do you think I came to know about the two of you?"

As these words escaped the princess' lips, Bon Hwa felt something inside of him rise. He had trusted the wrong man, he had believed every lie he had ever told.

His anger was biling up. The feeling of betrayal fuelled his wrath.

Someone lit the pyre on fire and the princess backed away.

As Bon Hwa felt the fire reach up to him, his hatred towards the man he loved resonated through his veins.

"I curse you all to die a worse death than mine" Bon Hwa said, burning with the fire.

A gasp escaped everyone's lips upon hearing the curse.

"And to the man I love, the man who I thought loved me, we shall meet again for this has not ended yet"

The fire soon engulfed him with all its might. As Bon Hwa stood there with his skin on fire, he did not even scream from the pain because the pain he felt inside, was far more than what the fire was doing to him. He did not make a sound no matter how painful it was because he did not even feel alive anymore. Something inside of him had died the moment he heard of the love that had betrayed him.

Before he finally closed his eyes, he saw a glance of the man he loved standing in the crowd, looking at him through haunted eyes.

 

 

***************

**NOW**

***************

 

 

As Chanyeol finished retelling his part of the tale, Kai found himself crying.

"He just left me there to die Kai" Chanyeol ended.

"I am so sorry Chanyeol" he said. "I am so sorry"

That was all he could say. All his words were eaten by the emotions he felt.

Chanyeol shook his head.

"It's okay" he said. But Kai knew it was not. Everyday, to see everyday a man's face that betrayed you, broke you and killed you was something that would never be okay.

Kai felt like Chanyeol had been cursed. This face that he carried must have reminded him of his death everyday. Kai understood clearly why he hated this face so much.

"I don't understand why this is happening again" Chanyeol confessed.

Kai remained silent as Chanyeol tried to understand why had fate played such a cruel game to bring them back together, that too with each other's face.

Kai looked at Chanyeol's morbid face when suddenly he remembered something he had read long ago.

"Wait" Kai said, fishing his phone out out his pocket. There was this myth he had read once. He had discarded it off as something stupid but hearing what Chanyeol had just said, it did not sound stupid anymore.

After about fifteen minutes of searching, Kai suddenly looked at Chanyeol.

"I don't think your love was one sided Chanyeol" Kai finally said, "I think he loved you too. I think the crown prince genuinely loved you"

"How can you even say that after everything I told you?" Chanyeol asked.

In response, Kai just handed him the phone and the article he had found.

Written on screen were the words...

**_"According to a famous Japanese legend, the face we are born with in this life is the face that belonged to the person we loved the most in our past life but couldn't be with for some reason"_ **


	3. POSTLUDE

Chanyeol looked up from the screen in disbelief.

"This is crazy" he said looking up at Kai. 

"More crazy than your memories of your past life?"

Chanyeol though about it. Could it be possible? Legends were supposed to be legends because they were untrue. They were called myths for a reason. But so was reincarnation. People thought about it as a myth too. Even Chanyeol thought about it as untrue until it actually happened to him.

"I think you need to speak to Baekhyun" Kai suggested.

"No. I hate him Kai. After what he did not me, I can't forgive him"

Kai let out a sigh. "I think there is more to the story than you know parts of"

"What does that mean?"

"I mean someone set you up. Use your deduction Chanyeol. Trust your heart. Do you really think Baekhyun, or Cheong Yun in his past life was capable of doing something so evil?"

Chanyeol had never thought about it. But as much as he knew Cheong Yun, he knew he was not the man the princess had made him believe Cheong Yun to be.

"This is your chance Chanyeol. Maybe your only chance to be with the one you love. And if he turns out to be an asshole, I would be the first one to kick his ass"

Chanyeol laughed at Kai's words.

"Just go talk to him man" Kai said again but Chanyeol was apprehensive.

"And do what?" Chanyeol asked. "He doesn't remember anything. He didn't even recognise his own face when he saw me"

Kai sighed. "I think he remembers more than you give him credit for"

Chanyeol looked at Kai. He spoke as if he knew something, but for some reason he was keeping it to himself.

Suddenly Kai looked at the watch. The rounds were supposed to start in 2 minutes.

"Get up fast. We are very late" he said and Chanyeol rushed out of the bed with newfound energy.  
  
  
  
  
  


All through the rounds, Chanyeol couldn't keep his eyes off Baekhyun. Was Kai right? Did he actually love him enough? If the legend was true, that would be the only explanation for Baekhyun to have the face Chanyeol had in his past life.

Or was it perhaps a sick joke the cosmos were playing on him?

He knew the only way to find out was to talk to Baekhyun.   
  
  
  
  
  


Once their duties were over, Chanyeol headed to Kai's room to find Baekhyun like Kai had told him. He entered to find Baekhyun sitting on the desk with heaps of notes scattered across the table.

"Baekhyun" Chanyeol said. Baekhyun turned to see who it was and suddenly froze. His dream... Chanyeol was exactly like he had seen him in his dreams.

"Can we talk?" he asked. Baekhyun wasn't sure what he wanted to talk about but still nodded.

"Sure, have a seat." He got up to empty the chair for Chanyeol to sit on and himself proceeded to sit on his bed.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Chanyeol was apprehensive. Kai was his best friend so he had been patient enough to listen to him. Baekhyun was practically a stranger. Or Chanyeol was a stranger to Baekhyun to be more precise. He did not know how Baekhyun would take it. 

"Do you... umm" Chanyeol fumbled with his words. "Do you perhaps remember me?"

Baekhyun blinked at him blankly.

"What do you mean? Like have we met before?" Baekhyun asked.

"Yea" Chanyeol said, "But not precisely. Do you feel like we've met before?"

Baekhyun immediately shook his head. "I know for a fact we've never met before"

Chanyeol's heart sank. 

"But..." Baekhyun began but immediately stopped himself. He would perhaps sound like a creep if he told Chanyeol how he had seen him in his dreams since he was a kid.

"But what?" Chanyeol asked, hopefully.

"Nothing" Baekhyun said. "I was just thinking something else"

Chanyeol nodded and took a deep breath. The next few words he had chosen very carefully, knowing very well that he might sound like a lunatic to Baekhyun. But he knew he had to give it a shot to find out the truth.

"Does the names Bon Hwa mean anything to you?" Chanyeol asked.

Baekhyun thought about it for a moment and then shook his head. He had never heard the names before.

"Is he a resident too?" Baekhyun asked in confusion. 

"No he's not a resident" Chanyeol replied. This conversation was not going where he wanted it to go.

"Baekhyun" Chanyeol finally said. "Look at me"

Baekhyun turned to stare at Chanyeol again and something inside of him changed. As he looked into those eyes, he recalled details from his dreams that he had never paid attention to before.

"Would you believe me if I tell you we knew each other long ago?" Chanyeol asked suddenly and Baekhyun's mind came back to the present. 

"How long ago?" Baekhyun asked. "Like when we were kids?"

"Longer than that" Chanyeol softly said. "In our past lives"

Suddenly Baekhyun started laughing.

"Are you crazy?" he asked, "You're a doctor for god's sake. How can you even talk about something so absurd?"

Chanyeol suddenly stiffened. He immediately got up.

"You're right. I am sorry" he said, rushing out the door.

"No... wait... Chan..." Baekhyun called out but his voice fell on deaf ears. Chanyeol was already gone by then.

After he left, Baekhyun cursed himself. Why did he have to laugh? It was not like Chanyeol had said something he had not thought about countless times! In fact of all the explanations he had drawn up, the story of him being connected to Chanyeol in his past life made the most sense. He wondered if he was afraid to admit the truth, like if he had answered Chanyeol's answer truthfully, he was afraid of what might come out. 

Because no matter how many years had passed, every time he had that dream, the only feeling he ever felt was immense guilt. Like everything was his fault and he did not even know why.  
  
  
  
  
  


Chanyeol made sure he would not have to face Baekhyun again. He was embarrassed as it is for what had happened and then to face Baekhyun after that would be humiliating himself further. He was sure Baekhyun already thought of him as a lunatic.  
  
  
  
  
  


One night Chanyeol went out for a few drinks and lost track of time. When he came back to the dorm, the doors had already been closed. So he jumped up the wall and quietly walked back inside. 

On his way in, Chanyeol accidentally tripped over the table kept near the main door, making a loud crashing sound.

"Who's there?" the security guard yelled as Chanyeol got up and tried to tip toe inside. The guard seemed to have gotten a whiff of where Chanyeol was so he started chasing him. Chanyeol picked up his pace and ran down the corridor before a pair of hands grabbed him and pulled in inside a dark room at the end of the hallways.

Chanyeol was about to yell when a hand slapped him against his mouth, preventing him to make any noise. It was then than Chanyeol realised who it was.

"Baekhyun?" he whispered through the hand on his mouth.

"Shh" Baekhyun said, keeping his ears and eyes fixed on the door.

Suddenly Chanyeol smiled and Baekhyun felt the movement in his palm. He turned towards Chanyeol.

"Why are you smiling?" he whispered.

Chanyeol shook his head. "This seems familiar" he replied.

"What's familiar about it?" Baekhyun asked.

Chanyeol put his hand on Baekhyun's waist and pulled him closer.

Baekhyun jerked at the sudden moment and ended up placing his hand on Chanyeol's chest. 

Familiar? Yes it felt familiar to Baekhyun. The touch, the closeness, the feeling he was beginning to feel inside of him, all of this was familiar, but what scared him was the unknown. The things that didn't feel familiar.

With one push, Baekhyun managed to pull himself away from Chanyeol.

"Never do that again" he said threateningly and something inside of Chanyeol hurt. He hated being the only one who remembered. Maybe he was not important enough for Baekhyun to remember. Maybe that is why he forgot. 

Once the coast was clear, Baekhyun grabbed Chanyeol by the hand and dragged him to their floor before leaving him outside his room.

"Bye" Baekhyun said. 

"Do you really not remember anything?" Chanyeol suddenly asked as Baekhyun was walking away from him.

He turned around to face Chanyeol.

"Remember what exactly?" Baekhyun asked.

"About me? About us?"

"You mean your crazy stories of our previous lives?" Baekhyun laughed again, not sure why he was repeating the same mistake twice.

When Chanyeol saw Baekhyun laugh, his anger started to rise.

"Yes about our past lives" he said more confidently. "About you having this face in your past life." Chanyeol pointed to his own face.

"About me having yours" he continued with rage. His voice was increasing by the minute.

Baekhyun did not understand what Chanyeol was on about. Had he gone mad? Nothing he said made sense to him. 

Chanyeol went on. "About how you promised me that you will love me forever and how you left me to burn in the middle of the forest, tied to an old oak tree and set light to"

Suddenly these words struck a chord with Baekhyun.

"How... how do you know about the oak tree?" he asked and Chanyeol's eyes widened at the question.

"You mean you remember it?" Chanyeol asked.

Baekhyun shook his head and moved closer to Chanyeol.

"It's not a memory. It's only a dream. I see myself being burned alive tied to an old oak tree"

Chanyeol too walked closer to Baekhyun. His rage had died down and he was not yelling anymore.

"It's not a dream Baekhyun. It's a memory. It's a memory of you watching me burn to death"

"You?" Baekhyun asked in confusion. "No. It's me who is burning every time, I see myself"

Chanyeol ran his hand through his hair in frustration. How was he supposed to make Baekhyun remember anything when he didn't even know what he was supposed to remember?

"Nevermind" Chanyeol finally said, giving up. "Let's just talk tomorrow Cheong Yun"

He turned around and went inside his room, closing the door behind him, not even realising that he had called Baekhyun by his name from his past life.

Baekhyun stood frozen outside.

Cheong Yun... the name... it sounded so owned. The name sounded like it belonged to him, like he had known it forever.

Baekhyun turned around and dragged his feet towards his room, with just the name Cheong Yun echoing in his mind.  
  
  
  
  
  


That night, Baekhyun slept with just the thoughts of Chanyeol and the name Cheong Yun. It was like any other ordinary night Baekhyun spent. Except this time, his dreams were more vivid, more clear.  
  
  
  


"Bon Hwa" Baekhyun shouted, suddenly waking up in the middle of the night. The dream he had seen was so realistic that he could not make sense of his surrounding easily. He was panting, remembering things that didn't make  sense to him. Everything he saw was in bits and pieces, scattered through the timeline. 

Who was Bon Hwa and why did Baekhyun scream his name?

With the dream still fresh in his mind he looked around and realised he was in his own room.

He checked his watch. It was a little after 4 in the morning. Baekhyun was growing restless.

He remembered what he had seen in his dream. Of himself being burned alive.

But this time he was sure it was not him. It was just someone who had his face.

Baekhyun started to take in deep breath, but the more he took, the more his lungs failed him.

He was not in control of his own mind anymore. It was running at the speed of light and suddenly Baekhyun's memories flooded in, like a huge wave of the ocean.

 

***************

**FEW HUNDRED YEARS AGO**

***************

 

 

Cheong Yun paced through the palace. Where was Bon Hwa? Cheong Yun knew it was past midnight and he should have been back by now.

He decided to go and find him. 

Just as he was about to step out of the castle, his father stopped him.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To find Bon Hwa" Cheong Yun replied.

He noticed something change in his father's eyes when he said Bon Hwa's name out loud. Like he was a piece of trash and hearing his name would somehow taint the king.

"You can't go out this late" the king ordered.

"You can't stop me" Cheong Yun defied. He knew then that something was wrong. 

The king looked enraged. "I will not let you slander my name and the throne because of your disgusting acts"

Cheong Yun looked at his father in shock. How did he know?

"What have you done to him?" he asked with tears in his eyes.

"What I should have done long back" the king replied with a malefic smile.

"The princess came to me an hour ago, asking for my help to get rid of that vermin and what do you think I did?" the king asked.

Cheong Yun stared at him in horror. "Where is he?" he yelled. "Tell me"

"With his death, the magic he cast on you will end too"

"What magic?" Cheong Yun asked. "There is no magic, I love him"

"Enough" the king ordered. "This love that you speak of is unnatural. Unearthly. Ungodly. Had the princess not told me of the witchcraft he had done, I would have lost you completely"

Cheong Yun broke down in front of the king. "Please just tell me where he is" he begged through his tears. "Please"

"The middle of the forest, tied to an oak tree. He is probably dead by now"

Cheong Yun did not wait any longer. He immediately gathered strength and ran as fast as he could towards the forest.  
  
  
  
  
  


When he reached the oak tree, the deed had already been done. Cheong Yun was too late. He started at Bon Hwa in horror. The man he loved had been burned alive. He stood there, numb.

Then suddenly for a flicker of second, Bon Hwa opened his eyes and looked at Cheong Yun. Then he closed them again, never opening it back. It was like he came back to life one last time to see the one he loved.

All of Cheong Yun's senses failed him. The fire was growing bigger and people backed off. No one noticed Cheong Yun standing there, staring at what was in front of him. As the fire from the tree started growing, the princess took a step back when she noticed Cheong Yun standing there, staring at Bon Hwa's burned body.

He was not crying. He just stood there, numb, staring at his own life being burned to death.

Suddenly he took one step forward. 

"Cheong Yun" the princess cried, "What are you doing?"

But the words fell on deaf ears. The crown prince didn't hear anything. All he could hear, all he could remember was Bon Hwa's laughter, his voice, his whispers in his ears.

And he took another step forward. The fire from the tree was not far from him how.

"Stop" the princess yelled. She tried to hold Cheong Yun's hand to pull him away but the fire galloped unexpectedly, as if it had a mind of it's own.

Cheong Yun did not wait any longer. He could see Bon Yun's smile in the fire that burned before him. He could see him playing around. 

"I'm coming" Cheong Yun said with a smile and walked into the fire that took him as its own.

The people screamed at what had just happened. Horror ran down everyone's spine. Everyone cried at the sight of what they had just witnessed.

But Cheong Yun did not even let out a sigh. He burned with the smile on his face. Because he would be with Bon Hwa again.

 

 

***************

**NOW**

***************

 

 

Baekhyun panted on his bed with the memories of his past. Chanyeol had been right, it was a memory from his past life.

He did not wait anymore. He had been so stupid blocking his own mind from the past, from happiness, from the love of his life.

Jumping out of bed, Baekhyun rushed over to Chanyeol's room.

Without knocking, he walked in.

Chanyeol was sleeping with no care in the world.

"Is that what I looked like when I was asleep?" Baekhyun asked himself softly before quietly walking over to Chanyeol's bed and sitting beside him. 

The sudden shifting of weight on his bed woke Chanyeol up.

"Hmm?" he moaned, rubbing his eyes and opening them to find Baekhyun sitting there.

He suddenly got up and slid back before his back hit the bedpost.

"What... What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I remember Chanyeol" Baekhyun blurted out. "I remember everything"

Chanyeol saw Baekhyun was crying. Suddenly Baekhyun took Chanyeol's face in his hands.

"I am sorry I couldn't save you" he said through his tears. "I am sorry I broke my promise of being with you forever"

Chanyeol was still trying to make sense. Was this actually happening? Did Baekhyun actually remember everything?

"You left me there to burn" Chanyeol said softly before he realised he was crying too.

"I am so sorry" Baekhyun said breaking down in his arms. Chanyeol held him close. No matter what, he refused to believe Baekhyun had abandoned him knowingly.

"The princess said you were disgusted by me" Chanyeol confessed and Baekhyun rose his head.

He cupped Chanyeol's face again. "No" Baekhyun let out. "Never. I loved you. I still lo..."

Chanyeol did not wait for Baekhyun to finish his sentence. He pulled him near and kissed him like he had done the first time, all those years ago, when they lived in a different era, when they had different names.

The moment Chanyeol's lips touched Baekhyun's, his mind burst with Baekhyun's memories that the latter had just seen a few minutes ago.

He broke away from the kiss and looked at Baekhyun in horror. 

"Is something wrong?" Baekhyun asked. "Do you still hate me?"

"You..." Chanyeol began "... You walked into the fire after me?" he asked in shock.

Baekhyun stared at him. "How... how did you fin...?"

Once again, before Baekhyun could finish speaking, Chanyeol grabbed him by his collar and pulled him in, embracing him in a warm kiss like it was the only thing that mattered. And this time, neither of them let go.  
  
  
  


Outside the door, Kai stood with his hand out in front of him. The fingers that he has just snapped made Chanyeol see Baekhyun's past too. This was what he had been waiting for.

Kai smiled at the two of them.

"This time, fate is on your side" he said before turning away and walking back to his room to resume his duty as a human.   
  
  
  
  
  


**_"...the face we are born with in this life is the face that belonged to the person we loved the most in our past life..."_ **

It was not a myth anymore. It was Chanyeol and Baekhyun's reality.  
  


***************

**THE END**

***************


	4. Author's Note

Hi guys.

 

I started my journey on AO3 with this Chanbaek One Shot and I am happy with the outcome.

 

This is officially my 4th Chanbaek ff (others are on WP an AFF) and even though it's not perfect, this story is very special to me.

 

I hope you come to like it as much as I loved writing it.

 

Happy reading. <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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**Author's Note:**

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